The Drink-maker’s Spice Rack

Bitters for the total ignoramus

Image credit: Emily J. Davis

Recommended by the Editor

Drinks: Lady in Red

December Drinks

By: Chris Clayton |   February 2012   |  From the print edition

To understand the role bitters play in cocktails, imagine curry without cumin, Mexican cuisine sans cilantro and chili pepper. Spices and herbs give dishes their magical essence, and a dash of bitters does the same for Manhattans, Old Fashioneds and countless other mixed drinks. Like their culinary cousins, bitters are derived from raw flora such as orange peels and gentian, the latter a key ingredient in Angostura, thought to be the oldest known bitters recipe—and arguably the most popular. (A German doctor named Johann Gottlieb Benjamin Sieger concocted the elixir in 1824 as a high-octane cure-all; today, it sits behind some of the best bars in the world.)

Bitters production looks simple on paper. “It involves macerating herbs and spices with grain spirits,” says legendary local barman Nicholas Kosevich. “Rum, whiskey, brandy, sometimes vodka. You basically create a Frankenstein plant, then filter and bottle the resulting concentrated liquid.” Getting just the right flavor, however, is a balancing act, something Kosevich and his friend and fellow drink swami Ira Koplowitz know firsthand. In 2009, the friends founded Bittercube, a craft bitters company that sells to pros and at-home cocktail dorks alike. “There’s a lot of trial and error involved—adding a spice here, taking away some there, playing with different combinations—to get to the final product," says Kosevich.

All this tinkering has paid off for Koplowitz and Kosevich. Add drops of the duo’s best-selling Cherry Bark Vanilla bitters to a Manhattan and you’ll see what we mean. “We’re just happy that more people are interested in bitters—and cocktail culture in general—these days,” says Koplowitz of his company’s success, adding that the booze renaissance appears connected to America’s broader preoccupation with quality ingredients and handmade products.

If you’re new to bitters and simply want to taste how they can transform a ho-hum cocktail into a complex, mind-blowing potion visit Eat Street Social, a newly opened watering hole on Nicollet with a drink program developed by Koplowitz and Kosevich (the pair recently added “cocktail consultants” to their collective resume). Or, if you’re ready to add bitters to your home bar, pick up Bittercube’s products at Wine Thief, Solo Vino and other fine Twin Cities liquor stores. We recommend their pepper-y, ginger-y Jamaican #1, perfect for rum punch and warding off evil spirits.

+ For directions on making your own bitters, try Bittercube’s “Basic Aromatic Bitters” recipe, which can be found in the book North Star Cocktails. bittercube.com